The Vancouver Canucks are hoping a lineup shake-up provides a much-needed jolt as they prepare for a Pacific Division clash against the Seattle Kraken on Monday night. The headline move ahead of the game is the decision to make forward Jake DeBrusk a healthy scratch.
A Reset for DeBrusk and the Team
Head coach Adam Foote's choice to sit DeBrusk comes as the winger endures a significant offensive drought. DeBrusk has managed just one goal in his last 16 games, including a 10-game stretch without finding the back of the net. For the season, he remains stuck at nine goals, with only a single tally coming at even strength—an area where the Canucks have notably struggled, ranking 29th in the league with just 64 even-strength goals in 37 games.
Foote framed the decision as team-oriented, suggesting it could serve as both a reset for the player and a precedent for the roster. The move is particularly notable as it precedes a Tuesday night visit from the Philadelphia Flyers, which marks the return of former coach Rick Tocchet to Rogers Arena.
Searching for Spark in a Fledgling Rivalry
Monday's game in Seattle underscores a broader issue for the Canucks: a lack of compelling, heated rivalries in their current state. The matchup with the Kraken, while geographically logical, has yet to develop significant animosity. Beyond an incident where Canucks defenceman Tyler Myers delivered a heavy hit on Seattle's Matty Beniers—a play the Kraken organization viewed as a cheap shot—the history between the clubs is thin.
As the article notes, a true rivalry likely requires a playoff meeting to ignite. For now, the Kraken rank well down the list of Vancouver's traditional foes, behind teams like the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Toronto Maple Leafs. The fan travel phenomenon seen in other sports, such as Vancouver Whitecaps supporters flooding Seattle's Lumen Field, has not materialized for hockey.
The Stakes on the Ice
The game presents two teams at different points in the standings but with recent parallels in performance. The Seattle Kraken (16-14-6) enter on a four-game winning streak and sit fifth in the Pacific Division. They recently snapped a prolonged drought in the second game of back-to-back sets, a streak that had lasted from March 5, 2024, to December 23, 2025.
The Vancouver Canucks (15-19-3) reside at the bottom of the NHL standings. A brief four-game win streak following the blockbuster trade of captain Quinn Hughes has been erased by recent losses, plunging the team back into irrelevancy in the national hockey conversation.
Top performers to watch include Seattle's Jordan Eberle (14 goals, 10 assists) and Vancouver's Elias Pettersson (8 goals, 14 assists). Both teams have identical 5-5-0 records in their last ten games.
Struggles Echo in the AHL
The woes are not confined to the NHL club. The Abbotsford Canucks, who captured the Calder Cup last season, are in a dramatic tailspin. Their record has plummeted to 8-16-3-3, leaving them in 10th place in the AHL's Pacific Division. With only four regulation wins in 30 games, they are on pace for one of the worst records in the league in over two decades.
As the Canucks look to turn the page in Seattle, the organization is searching for answers at every level. The scratch of Jake DeBrusk is the latest attempt to find a spark for a team that has struggled to gain traction all season.
